Would you prefer The Last of Us 2 or a new IP?

Developer Naughty Dog in the brainstorming stage for what comes after Uncharted on PS4.

The team at Naughty Dog behind The Last of Us is contemplating its next project, and has currently brainstormed plans for a sequel to last year's acclaimed adventure and an entirely new IP. Which would you prefer?

In an interview with Eurogamer, creative director Neil Druckmann explained that the team is first looking to take a break--it will release single-player The Last of Us chapter Left Behind next week--and then think about whether it can tell another story in the game's universe.

"We just wrapped up Left Behind, and Bruce Straley, the game director, and I have been doing this for over four years now. So it's just time for a break, and to recharge the batteries," Druckmann said.

Straley and Druckmann will probably be able to have a bit of a rest, at least: Naughty Dog is split into two teams, with the other group currently working on the studio's next game: an Uncharted title for PlayStation 4.

"We have started brainstorming some stuff," continued Druckmann. "To be honest, some of them are sequel ideas, and some of them are brand new IP--we've spent the last few weeks brainstorming new IP. So we have to get some good steps and see... It's kind of like how we approached Left Behind. Can we tell people a story that's really worth telling, and that's not repeating itself? And if we can't, where can we get inspired--what is something that's really going to challenge us, and push storytelling in this medium forward?"

The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences last night declared The Last of Us their 2013 game of the year, with Naughty Dog's game also picking up gongs for sound design, story, character, innovation, adventure, animation, art direction, visual engineering, and game direction.

agree, if they make a sequel, it shouldn't feel like what some sequals today can feel like (copy-paste/addon like)...,

but using the world, ideas, characters they have, they could very well build on those and evolve it (maybe more openworld like) and make something unique again...

(using Joel and Ellie, cause they have some open questions and are just part of TLOUS..., but adding another 2 characters with just the same depth and charm, but totally diffrent emtions/feelings,... like a crazy-ish woman around Joel's age and a shy and introverted but very analytic/smart young teen boy, meat up with Joel and Ellie.. or something..., )

TLoU 2 I think would cheapen the experience / story of the first one. There is no compelling reason to really return to that story, at least for the length of another entire campaign. I skipped Bioshock 2 for a similar reason- it feels too much like the sequel exists because of the money opportunity rather than the narrative opportunity.

I vote new IP. I hate when a company comes up with something amazing and then all of a sudden makes 7 more sequels. keep the creative juices flowing, make something different. Different and awesome is how The Last of Us got such high ratings.

The game they did with TLOF, survival meets adventure. Was such a fresh and beautifully crafted experience. Id like that again. Something that is not common or played. I also liked a lot that the Last of Us felt real, as you really were there, and the zombie apocalypse had such a strong influence to the world that it caused the lands to be the way they are.

Id like them to think really outside of the box, and do something that they really want to do. After the last four games I have played from them, I rarely finish games any more, but I had no problem with Uncharted and TLOU and I can't wait for the next game. I trust in Naughty Dog in what ever decision they make. And I know they will make a good decision.

Maybe they could do an Adventure meets Fantasy? Someone with a bow with strong flavour of survival! Would be damn cool if they made their own fresh version of Zelda. Something that people cannot compare it to Zelda, and its is own thing. Just like they did with Uncharted (Tomb Raider)

@peterdavid12345@Revenant_K Not everywhere ... many games during the PS3 area were 59,99CAD and since last year many games start at 64,99CAD ( Like Tomb Raider, Lightning Returns etc ) so PS4 games are between 64,99 and 69,99CAD ... way too much for what it is.

Same thing for handheld games for both Sony and Nintendo. they went from 39,99CAD to 43,99CAD last year.

The world of The Last of Us has only just been tapped on the grand scheme of things, it could expand to other locations of the world, or even events such as a jungle/polar expedition gone wrong (obviously with entirely different characters).

The other neat idea would be playing as one of the 'hunters', except at the time you may not necessarily believe you were even doing anything wrong.. you could then get into a heated firefight at the end of the game only to be shot by Joel - thereby crossing the paths of both games and opening the possibility for a direct sequel.

Who knows!

Either way Naughty Dogs are gods of gaming, couldn't trust a studio to deliver perfection any more!

First of all TLOU was so incredibly good, that they can't top that. They MIGHT match it, but they'll never top it.Let the dust settle. Make a new ip, let TLOU dwell in the depths of our psyche as the incredible game that it is, don't milk it. It'll cheapen it.

a new IP, depending on the "setting" it plays in, would be a cool as (or maybe even cooler than) TLOU2...

but a "normal" or "overused" setting would be a a bit of disapointment., even if they make great games.. ("horror/thriller" settings are just the most intens settings..., maybe in combo with fantasy or si-fi....)

@ninboxstation@stealthy881 Not that the Uncharted franchise or The Last of Us have been short on overall quality, but If they can re-aquire the licence to work on another Crash Bandicoot sequel I'd much rather see that then their fifth third person shooter in a row. ;-)

@ninboxstation That would be cool. It's been a long while since we've had a good Alien vs Predator game. Also the platforming that is in most of their games could work really well as a predator, of course the alien can walk on anything.

with the money they made, they should (hopefully) be able to afford the rights for an Alien (& Predator) game...., and there hasn't been a such a good game for quite some time....

Alien Isolation could really be good, but it seems it will be something more like Outlast (no focus an Action, more hiding than stealth...), ...while Naughty Dog could really make something epical with if they use stealth, action, drama and great grafix & co. like they usally do .. but with Aliens (& Predators)...

While I do love The Last of Us, and would love to have more of it, I think it'd be interesting to see what Naughty Dog would do with a new IP. Besides, Ellie and Joel's story is just about finished. I'm sure you could expand upon it further down the timeline, but why would you want to? As characters, their story together has fully developed. I think it would be fine if they shifted the focus to different characters in the universe, but it'd be very difficult to create a story as touching and interesting as the original game. I think they're better off leaving Last of Us as a standalone game and finding new territory to explore.

@twentymooseman This is possibly on their minds but then one of the most brilliant game developers of the decade is working on it if they did decide to make a sequel, it would at the very least be mentioned at the GOTY awards 2014. Judging though that it took NG 3 years to make the game, 1 whole year of practically just brainstorming. It would seem logically unsound if they simply only made 1 crystal glass in this mansion of awesomeness.

@stealthy881@twentymooseman The thing that made Last of Us was the characters. It wasn't a game about zombies or an apocalypse or a fascist military regime, it was about two people, not just fighting for survival, but discovering a reason to survive in an unremittingly bleak world. The external factors were secondary to their personal story, which is why making a sequel in that universe is difficult. The universe is interesting, but it isn't enough on its own. You have to create characters of equal depth and you have to explore new themes with those characters, otherwise you're just playing a revamped and tuned up version of the same game. I feel like Last of Us was a complete experience in itself and doesn't really need to be expanded upon. The fact that they did so well breaking away from Uncharted and making a game that was, tonally, the polar opposite makes me curious as to what other ideas they can hatch. It's not that I lack faith in Naughty Dog's ability, it's just that I'd like to see them take another big risk instead of expanding upon something that was a self contained and complete experience.

@twentymooseman@stealthy881 Althought I'm very excited about The last of us 2 or the last 2 of us ? It did be very interesting if they make a new IP and couple years later. BAM! The last of us 2 announced, that would shock the whole world gaming industries !!!

A new IP all the way. A Last of Us sequel is a terrible idea. Please do not soil a great game with an unwarrented sequel. Just a terrible idea! Given Naughty Dogs overall quality, I expect they will recognize this fact and move on to a new IP.

Well whatever they do, I trust that it'll be good. I appreciate that Naughty Dog is being so careful in deciding whether to make a sequel to The Last of Us. If they do make a sequel, they'll make sure it's worth doing. So if they don't make a sequel and instead start a new IP, it'll be for the best.

People have rumored for a while that Naughty Dog has been planning a space game. It would be cool if they did some sort of restrained, slightly grounded sci-fi just like TLoU's more sophisticated take on post-apocalyptic fiction.

Not that I'd complain about a TLoU 2, though I do think they should use different characters and a new setting.